[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

GEORGIA (Tier 1) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report

The Government of Georgia fully meets the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.  The government continued to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Georgia remained on Tier 1.  These efforts included investigating more cases and screening more vulnerable people for indicators of trafficking.  The government developed guidelines for labor inspectors on identifying labor trafficking victims and created a group of specialized labor inspectors for labor trafficking cases.  The government established a new mobile group with a total of eight members to identify potential victims among vulnerable children who experienced homelessness or used the streets as a source of livelihood.  The government updated procedures and questionnaires for victims to receive official victim status and increased resources to the government-run anti-trafficking shelters.  Anti-trafficking coordinating bodies met consistently and adopted the 2023-2024 Anti-Trafficking NAP.  Although the government meets the minimum standards, it convicted fewer traffickers and identified its lowest number of victims since 2016.  Police conducted some ad hoc law enforcement actions on commercial sex establishments without a clear strategy on victim identification, and authorities continued to lack knowledge of how to investigate and collect evidence in complex cases involving financial crimes, organized crime, and digital evidence.  Law enforcement required victims to remain in country through the end of the trial, likely hindering victim cooperation from foreign victims wanting to repatriate, and judges have never awarded restitution in criminal cases.  The government did not adequately publicize public assessments or information on its efforts.

Prioritized Recommendations

Vigorously investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes and convict traffickers.

Increase efforts to identify victims proactively, particularly individuals in commercial sex, child laborers and/or homeless children, and Georgian and foreign victims in vulnerable labor sectors.

Increase resources to plan intelligence and evidence-led law enforcement operations with victim-centered approaches.

Encourage victims’ participation in investigations and prosecutions through victim-centered court procedures, including remote testimony or funding for travel and other expenses for victims to attend court hearings.

Implement procedures to improve the Permanent Group’s ability to identify victims consistently and accurately.

Improve law enforcement’s capacity to investigate complex cases, including advanced training on money laundering, organized crime, and digital evidence.

Further incorporate the Labor Inspectorate into anti-trafficking efforts and increase its capacity and training to identify victims.

Improve measures to order restitution for victims, including training prosecutors and judges on asset seizure and legal assistance.

Establish procedures to license and monitor recruitment agencies and prevent recruitment fees and other trafficking vulnerabilities.

Increase the capacity and knowledge of civil society to identify and refer trafficking victims.

Increase awareness-raising campaigns about the existence of trafficking, legal recourse, and available protection services for vulnerable groups.

Develop guidelines and procedures for victim-witness coordinators and other victim assistance providers to strengthen coordination.

Increase transparency of the inter-ministerial trafficking coordination council and regularly publish information on the government’s anti-trafficking efforts.